Insole with concept of harmonic tai chi

ABSTRACT

An insole with the concept of harmonic tai chi consists of an upper pad, a lower pas, and a supporter. The upper pad has an S-shaped vibration absorption block protruding downward on the outer side of the front sole. Corresponding to the vibration absorption block of the upper pad, the lower pad has an S-shaped elastic block on the inner side of the sole. With the harmonic combination of the vibration absorption and elastic blocks, the insole is more suitable to dynamical needs as the user walks. The U-shaped supporter is made of a harder material, fixed on the lower pad and extending from the inner foot arch to the heel, thereby protecting the heel and supporting the inner foot arch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to an insole and, in particular, to an insole withthe concept of tai chi to provide the function of vibration absorption,elasticity and support.

2. Related Art

To effectively relieve pressure on foot, various kinds of insoles thatclaim to provide the air cushion function are sold on the market. Theyare featured in absorbing vibrations and supporting the foot arch toincrease the comfort. The following are a few examples.

The air pressure insole disclosed in ROC Pat. No. M364446 includes a paddisposed on the stepping surface in a shoe and a plurality of hollowpillars formed on the lower surface of the pad. The stepping surface,the lower surface of the pad, and the inner wall of each pillar define acorresponding first airbag. When deformed by a force, each pillarprotrudes outward so that the outer walls adjacent pillars get in touchwith one another. A second airbag is thus formed with the additionalcombination of the stepping surface and the lower surface of the pad.The first and second airbags provide an elastic vibration absorptioneffect.

The health vibration absorption insole disclosed in ROC Pat. No. M297176is formed from foam or silicate elastic material according to the shapeof the bottom of a shoe. An elliptical three-dimensional part is formedbetween the sole and foot arch parts of the insole. The front end of theinsole has several circular bumps and venting holes. The bottom of theinsole has several hollow circular pillars of different sizes.Supporting walls are formed for the foot arch, heel, andthree-dimensional part. In addition to achieving a massage effect on thefoot bottom, the insole also has the effect of absorbing vibrations.

The insole disclosed in ROC Pat. No. M291226 is mainly formed by foaminga better elastic material. A groove is formed on the insolecorresponding to the bottom edge of the heel for providing a buffereffect. The top of the groove is covered by a hard material that islarger than the area of the top of the groove. When in use, the hardmaterial distributes user's foot weight around the groove. The groovecan be further provided with an elastic pad to enhance vibrationabsorption.

The flexible insole disclosed in ROC Pat. No. M280678 makes use of afoam material to produce a soft insole body. The back of the insole bodyis provided with an elastic pad and a vibration absorption pad atlocations corresponding to the foot sole and heel. The surface of theelastic pad is formed with several grooves to increase the flexibilityof the insole. The insole can thus deform according to the action of thefoot and provide good elasticity and vibration absorption.

Besides, ROC Pat. No. M264892 also discloses an insole composed of anupper pad and a lower pad. The upper pad is integrally formed from asoft material, whereas the lower pad is integrally formed from a hardmaterial. The lower pad is formed with a notch in the right area ofphalanges or the right side of the foot sole. The upper pad is formedwith a bump corresponding to the notch, so that the upper pad and thelower pad are combined via the bump and the notch. The soft upper padhas elastic and vibration absorptive functions to alleviate pressure onfoot. The hard lower pad supports the soft upper pad to prevent sag.Thus, the insole has a solid support from the bottom while providinggood vibration absorption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an insole with the concept of harmonic tai chi,composed of an upper pad, a lower pad, and a supporter. The upper padhas an S-shaped vibration absorption block protruding downward on theouter side of the front sole. Corresponding to the vibration absorptionblock of the upper pad, the lower pad has an S-shaped elastic block onthe inner side of the sole. With the harmonic combination of thevibration absorption and elastic blocks, the insole is more suitable todynamical needs as the user walks. The U-shaped supporter is made of aharder material, fixed on the lower pad and extending from the innerfoot arch to the heel, thereby protecting the heel and supporting theinner foot arch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent by reference to the following description andaccompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, andthus are not limitative of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the invention fromanother perspective; and

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are three-dimensional exploded views of the invention fromtwo perspective angles. FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the invention. Thedisclosed ‘tai chi insole’ consists of an upper pad 1, a lower pad 2,and a supporter 3.

The upper pad 1 has an S-shaped vibration absorption block 11 protrudingdownward on the outer side of the front sole.

Corresponding to the vibration absorption block of the upper pad, thelower pad 2 has an S-shaped elastic block 21 on the inner side of thesole.

According to the separating curve, the corresponding vibrationabsorption block 11 and elastic block 21 form a pattern very similar tothe tai chi totem. The designing concept of the tai chi totem is in theharmonic distribution of vibration absorption and elasticity. The entireinsole is more suitable for the dynamical requirements of a walkingfoot, achieving the goal of being perfect for both dynamical and staticsituations as tai chi.

Moreover, both the upper pad 1 and the lower pad 2 are formed with waterdrop-like phalanx pads 12, 22 protruding symmetrically upwards.

To enhance the support of the lower pad 2 in the area from the foot arch23 to the heel 24, a harder U-shaped supporter 3 is provided there. Thissolves the problem of insufficient support in the area from the footarch 23 to the heel 24. As the supporter protects the heel and supportsthe foot arch, the user always obtains the best support after long-timestanding or walking.

To enhance an overall pressure alleviating effect, the vibrationabsorption block 11 of the upper pad 1, the bottom surface of the lowerpad 2, and the bottom surface of the supporter 3 all have wavy granules4. This structure does not only increase the comfort, but also helpscirculating humid hot air inside shoes.

The invention makes use of the concept of harmony in tai chi todistribute vibration absorption and elasticity parts of an insole.Dynamical requirements for walking are satisfied. Moreover, the goals ofsupporting the heel and supporting the foot arch are also effectivelyachieved. The user obtains the most comfort even after long-timestanding or walking.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limitingsense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well asalternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover allmodifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An insole incorporating harmonic tai chi conceptcomprising an upper pad, a lower pad, and a supporter; wherein the upperpad has an S-shaped vibration absorption block protruding downward onthe outer side of the front sole; corresponding to the vibrationabsorption block of the upper pad, the lower pad has an S-shaped elasticblock on the inner side of the sole; the supporter is made of a harderU-shaped material and fixed on the lower pad in the area from the footarch to the heel; the separating curve between the correspondingS-shaped vibration absorption block and elastic block is similar to thetai chi totem; and with the harmonic distribution of the vibrationabsorption and elastic blocks, the insole is more suitable to dynamicalneeds of walking.
 2. The insole incorporating harmonic tai chi conceptaccording to claim 1, wherein the S-shaped vibration absorption block ofthe upper pad, the bottom surface of the lower pad, and the bottomsurface of the supporter are formed with wavy granules.